Ourselves Alone Alternate Ending
by Andrew Fisher15
Summary: An alternate ending/ficlet for the episode, 'Ourselves Alone.' Sometimes, John does win.
1. Chapter 1

A short little ficlet where John chooses for the episode "_Ourselves Alone_" to end differently. I wasn't really planning it, but today at college registration I met a girl who bore a shocking resemblance to the actress who played as Riley Dawson, which brought back to mind the now-canceled Sarah Connor Chronicles and Riley. So I wondered, how would it have turned out if that episode ended positively? Very few TSCC episodes did so. Maybe a few cheerier endings might have done the series a little good.

_Just let her go!_ John growled at himself. _It's not real and it never was! _He kicked one of the idiotic toys the former owners had left in the room. The small dinosaur bounced off a cabinet and rolled out of sight, vanishing under the childish bed he had been stuck with. He glanced at the objects on the dresser. A black, snub nosed .38 special revolver sat next to a folding knife and a speedloader with five rounds in it, drawing his thoughts back to the social worker. She had asked about firearms being kept in the house.

_She wouldn't do that. _John mentally restated, hoping it was true. "But why didn't she ask?" The thoughts had turned into words and slipped out. The entire situation made no sense. He added them up again. _Cromartie. Mexico. Her friend, that Asian women Derek's been spending time with. That bruise on her head. Her attempted suicide. Burnt skulls. The social worker._ He had tried a dozen times to figure it out, finally concluding that Calculus was easier.

A knock on the door yanked him back to the present. He stalked over and opened it with a bit more force the necessary, revealing Cameron. The scent of popcorn drifted up behind her.

"Yes?" He asked, the frustration and anger leaking into his didn't seem to notice.

"Sarah rented a movie, and hopes we could all watch it together." She informed him neutrally. "The Bourne Ultimatum."

"I don't feel like watching a movie." John snapped, walking back to the dresser.

"I don't think she does, either." Cameron replied, ignoring his bad mood. "She seems to be extremely worried, mostly about you. She hopes watching a movie together will help with stress."

"I don't think it will." John said, picking up the handgun and checking it again. Cameron stood there for several more moments, staring at him.

"Is something wrong?" Cameron asked. He looked up at her, and half-thought he saw worry flicker across her face.

"Cameron…" John put the weapon back down. "In the future, I make a lot of decisions, right?"

"Yes." Cameron replied carefully, still looking closely at him.

"Do people think future John does stupid things sometimes?" John pressed, his voice cracking slightly. Cameron nodded. "How do those things turn out?"

"Sometimes they turn out well, and he wins battles." Cameron responded. "Sometimes they turn out badly, and people die."

"But people still follow him. They still trust him to win. **You **still trust him." John pointed out. Cameron's head tilted slightly to the side, as if she was unsure of where the conversation was going.

"We do." She stated. John picked the compact revolver back up and slipped it into his jacket pocket, the small weapon easily concealed under the leather. The speedloader and the knife went into the other pocket, a few inches away from his left hand.

"I hope, then," John said, walking past her and towards the door, "that you can bring yourself to trust this John, right now."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"You called DCFS! You called my school!" Riley said angrily, the words coming out a half sob/ half accusation. "You knew what Cameron would do!" The shattered glass cup shook in her hand. "You wanted her to kill me, because that was the only way he'd turn against her!" Jessie absorbed the words, unmoving. "How could you do that to me?"

The soldier moved, the look of partial shame evaporating as her hand snaked out, grabbing the large vase from the nightstand and hurling it at the teenager, simultaneously lunging forward to attack as Riley brought her hands up defensively. It only took her a few seconds to twist the crude weapon out of the girl's hands and bring it up to her neck, taking control of the situation.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

John froze outside the door, the angry screams catching him off guard, unprepared. Another second ticked by, a hundred thoughts racing through his mind. Another cry reached his ears, muffled through the doors. He tried the knob—it was locked.

"_I rescued you __**from hell!**_" A woman's voice snarled. "_And I took you to paradise!_" Something snapped inside John, bringing back that old, familiar feeling.

"Here's to you, Mom." John muttered, taking the revolver out of his pocket. He reared back and kicked with his right leg, moving forward into the strike, mustering all his strength against the barrier. There was a horribly loud cracking sound, and the door flew inwards. John bolted forward, weapon ready. He took several long, rapid steps, moving through the first two empty rooms, rounding corner to the bedroom as a _thud_ sounded from the wall. Time seemed to slow for a few moments as he took in the room. Derek's girlfriend was on the ground, her outstretched hands reaching for something on the stylish coffee table. Riley was a foot to his left, gasping for breath, recovering from a blow. John saw the other woman's hands smack a piece of the table, making a drawer pop out. John's mouth opened but no sound came out as he stepped forward in front of Riley, bringing the .38 revolver up as the woman snatched a pistol out of the drawer and aimed, ready to fire...

But neither did. The woman's face twisted in surprise and recognition as she realized who he was.

"Who are you?" She demanded, the weapon still on him, feigning ignorance.

"I'm John Connor." He declared flatly. He was aware of Riley's shocked silence behind him, even has he spoke. He kept the small revolver trained on the woman's face as he reached out with his left hand and half pushed Riley back, moving towards the door.

"_You're_ John Connor?" The woman asked, the question laced with a slightly mocking, doubtful tone.

"Yes." John confirmed. "I am." He kept backing up, and was grateful when the woman disappearing from sight. Riley didn't speak until they reached the hallway.

"John…" Her voice faded for a moment as the words threatened to turn into uncontrollable sobs. "I'm, I'm sorry. I-"

"I know." He interrupted, giving her a brief, reassuring hug. "It's okay."


	2. Chapter 2

A long over due part 2. Reviews are highly appreciated. That, and I'd like to know if you think I'm writing Cameron well. I think most people write her too 'robotically,' if you get my meaning.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Start talking." John ordered, twisting the keys in the ignition. Riley took several moments to respond.

"About what?" She asked. The teasing, playful tone was gone; her words sounded flat, almost dead.

"What happened back there." John replied, not trying to hide his irritation and anger. He shifted the truck into drive and sped out of the parking lot.

"She… she was playing me." Riley formed the words slowly, as if speaking had suddenly become difficult. "I thought we were a team. But she was using me… it was all a lie. Everything."

"What was a lie?" He prodded, stepping gently on the break as they passed a marked squad car. The cruiser ignored them, much to his relief.

"She wanted Cameron to kill me." Riley's voice was a near whisper. "She wanted Cameron to kill me, to turn you against her."

"Why?" The word came out harsher, angrier, than the previous ones.

"She said that you listened to much to her." Riley said quietly. "That… that she was running the war, not you. She was getting people killed, because you were taking her advice." It took a moment for her statement's meaning to settle fully.

"Your said your parents died in a fire." He recalled, as it dawned on him...

"And they will again." Riley finished. "A lot of people will."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"And you just let him go?" Sarah demanded. Cameron seemed indifferent to her anger.

"I saw no reason not to." She replied evenly, as if there was no reason for Sarah to be upset.

"You saw no reason not to?" Sarah repeated, amazed. "There was every reason too! You're not always right, you know that? You thought he was going to stop seeing Riley, then next morning he was off in Mexico with her!" The synthetic flesh around terminator's mouth quirked briefly, almost twisting into a scowl—

and the noise of a truck pulling into the driveway made both their heads turn. Cameron started walking towards the front door. Sarah took several rapid strides and peeked out the nearest window.

"It's John." She declared, relief washing over her.

"I know." Cameron replied shortly, pausing several yards from the front door. Sarah passed her and yanked the door open, revealing a surprised John.

"Where have you been?" Sarah half-growled half-demanded. Anger flared up on John's face, a response to Sarah's attitude.

"Working." John replied flatly.

"Working? Working what, a job?" Sarah questioned.

"The first day of the rest of my life." John said, rubbing his forehead. "It was Riley. She was almost killed."

"By who?" Cameron asked, finally speaking. She seemed impatient.

"Her… her handler." John forced the words out.

"Her _what_?" Sarah demanded. Cameron answered her question, saving John the burden of explaining it.

"Handlers are the people who manage spies." She told Sarah crisply. "They are typically the liaison between field personnel and the agency that deployed the spy, relaying information and orders."

"Who was she working for?" Sarah asked, fear and alarm skyrocketing inside her.

"A resistance fighter, from the future." John said, fighting the urge to avoid his mother's fiery gaze. His mother's mouth opened, then snapped back shut, surprise and disbelief making her fall silent for briefly.

"You didn't send anyone else back to meet us." Cameron informed him, unwilling to wait for Sarah to decide on a question.

"I know." John acknowledged. "She said that they jumped without telling anyone."

"Why?" Sarah wanted to know. John paused; fear, anger, and distress twisting his expression…

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

An awkward silence fell over the room when John finished. Their eyes met for a second, then broke apart. Only Cameron appeared to take it well.

"John…" Sarah honestly didn't know what to say. "I-I'm sorry." It seemed to be the only thing she could tell him.

"Where is Riley now?" Cameron finally asked. John nodded towards the driveway.

"She's in the car." He replied unhappily. "I didn't know what else to do."

"What? Do you want to bring her along with us or something?" Sarah demanded, frustration bubbling up again. "We're gone. Two days tops, we're relocated. We have no idea what this 'Jessie' will do. We can't trust Derek, and we definitely cannot trust Riley now, of all people!"

"What else was I supposed to do?" John shot back. "Drop her off on some street corner?"

"I don't know, okay?" Sarah admitted. "I don't know."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Riley didn't know what to expect, walking back into that house. She did know better than to expect a warm reception, but she also knew she did have many options. She couldn't go back to her foster parents, back to high school, pretending everything was okay when everything was so _not_ okay.

"You already know where the spare room is." Sarah told her, looking exhausted—burnt out. "That'll be your room. For tonight." Cameron watched from the other side of the room, her face unreadable.

"Thank you." Riley said, her words emerging as a whisper. Sarah nodded, then turned and walked off toward her room, but paused before vanishing from sight.

"Don't push it, alright?" She added, on afterthought. "We're all on very thin ice."

"I won't. I promise." Riley vowed, a trace of desperation coloring her statement.

"For your sake, I really hope so." She replied quietly, walking away, leaving Riley alone with Cameron.

Riley forced herself to at least briefly meet the terminator's stare.

"You were bruised by your handler, weren't you?" Cameron asked, maintaining a neutral expression. A long moment passed before the girl replied.

"Yes. She—she backhanded me." She confessed, watching for any hint of what the cyborg would do.

"I knew it wasn't a door." Cameron stated calmly. Her eyes flickered over the refugee. "Why should we help you? You've lied to us, repeatedly. You can't be trusted. For all we know, this could just be another ruse."

"Because… you heard what happened. Jessie was going to kill me." Riley argued, trying to hide the weak, shaky feeling coursing through her limbs. "Why would I help her anymore? I wanna join you guys. I don't have anywhere else to go!" Cameron didn't seem swayed by the pleading.

"You can't stay here." Cameron replied flatly. With that, she turned and left the room, following Sarah's path. Riley breathed a sigh of relief and made her way up the stairs, towards the guest room Sarah had begrudgingly assigned her too.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Short, but good. I hope. Leave a review to let me know how you feel, and if you liked it, add it to story alerts so you know when I update! Suggestions are welcome and constructive criticism will be taken to heart.


End file.
